The judge who put away USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar for up to 175 years has become an overnight sensation — but her ruling is causing controversy

Former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison on sexual-assault charges.

Judge Rosemarie Aquilina is the Michigan judge who handed down that sentence.

On social media, many have praised Aquilina for allowing more than 140 of Nassar's victims to directly address him in her courtroom — and for very openly sharing her anger and disgust over Nassar's ongoing abuse.

Now, Rosemarie Aquilina, the judge who handed down that sentence, has become the subject of both high praise and fierce debate on social media.

Aquilina, 59, has been a circuit court judge in Ingham County, Michigan since 2008. Previously, she had a 20-year military career and was the first female judge advocate general (JAG) in the Michigan Army National Guard, according to her official bio.

"Spending four or five days listening to them is significantly minor, considering the hours of pleasure you had at their expense and ruining their lives," she said, according to the New York Times.

When she sentenced Nassar, Aquilina used similar language. "Sir, you do not deserve to walk outside of a prison ever again," she said. "I just signed your death warrant."

This ferocity has won Aquilina many fans. Nassar's victims — and ordinary people following the trial — are thanking her for handing down the sentence of 40 to 175 years (on top of a separate 60-year sentence for child pornography), and for the way she proceeded over the trial.

"To Judge Aquilina, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your leadership, your professionalism, your compassion, and your commitment to allow each and EVERY ONE of us survivors the opportunity to share our impact statements in open court was extremely important and meaningful," Raisman said in a statement released on Twitter. "Thank you for listening to us all."

Fellow Olympians and Nassar victims Jordyn Wieber and Simone Biles also took to Twitter to express their thanks to the judge.

Several others following the case shared a GIF showing Aquilina tossing aside a statement written by Nassar, portions of which she read aloud in court, the Washington Post reports. In the letter, Nassar defended himself as a "good doctor" and alleged that his victims were "seeking the media attention and financial reward."

There's an unmistakable expression of disgust on Aquilina's face as she lets the printed statement fall from her hand.

"Our constitution does not allow for cruel and unusual punishment," Aquilina said in court on Tuesday, CNN reported. "If it did, I have to say ... I would allow someone or many people to do to him what he did to others."

In his op-ed, Wood wrote that this statement "diminished" the dignity of the trial. "Subjecting Nassar to a lifetime of rape is not my idea of justice, and fantasizing about it is not my idea of judicial temperament," he wrote.

On social media, others characterized Aquilina's courtroom demeanor as overdramatic. "#JudgeAquilina was over the top and leaves the door open for an appeal by her comments & dramatics," one Twitter user wrote. "The judge throughout acted like she was auditioning for a tv show," wrote another.

And — inevitably — there was backlash to this backlash. "I've seen many people criticize Judge Aquilina for being 'mean to Larry Nassar,'" one person tweeted. "Judges are not paid to be nice to monsters."

Watch a video of Aquilina delivering a statement before Nassar's sentencing below.

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